Power operated setting means for clock or watch hands



March 1957 o. R. PETTERS 2,784,546

POWER OPERATED SETTING MEANS FOR CLOCK OR WATCH HANDS Filed May 18, 195 4 2 Sheets-Sheet l [u 28 lllIlIlIIl I Tlllllllllllllllf? |1|||11|1| l llllllllHlll FIG. 2

INVENTOR OSCAR R. PETTERS ATTORNEY March 12, 1957 o. R. PETTERS Q 2 ,7 4,546

POWER OPERATED SETTING MEANS FOR CLOCK OR WATCH HANDS Filed May 18, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORO OSCAR R. PETTERS ATTORNEY United States Patent POWER OPERATED SETTING MEANS FOR CLOCK OR WATCH HANDS Oscar R. Potters, Lancaster, Pa., assignor to Hamilton Watch Company, Lancaster, Pa.

Application May 18, 1954, Serial No. 430,542 Claims. (Cl. 58-80) This invention relates to a mechanism for utilizing the power of the mainspring in the setting of the hands of a timepiece.

The object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism adapted to selective manual control for utilizing the operating power of the mainspring for setting the hands.

tis a further object of the present invention to provide a mechanism which can be selectively moved into and out of operative connection with the moving parts of a timepiece to utilize the motive power ordinarily used in operating the timepiece to rotate the hands in either direction at a comparative rapid rate.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a pair of pivoted levers carrying gears which through manual control may be moved into and out of engagement with the normal operating time train in a timepiece to rotate the hands of the watch at a comparative rapid rate.

The invention drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a timepiece with the dial removed.

Figure 2 is a partial vertical sectional view,

Figure 3 is a top plan view with certain bridges and other parts removed showing the mechanism in the position of normal watch operatic Figure 4 is a top plan view with certain parts removed and shows the mechanism in position for rotation of the hands in a clockwise direction.

Figure 5 is a top plan view with certain parts removed and shows the mechanism in position for rotating the hands in a counterclockwise direction.

Referring particularly to the drawings in which the invention is shown as applied to a 16 size watch, a pillar plate 12 is formed with a central irregular opening 13. A minute hand 14 and an hour hand 15 are mounted as usual on a center staff 16 which is driven through a center pinion 17 by a mainspring 18. A minute wheel 19 is mounted in the pillar plate 12 and driven in the usual manner.

A lever 21 pivoted at 22 is pointed at one end as at 23 and carries a gear 24 and pinion 25 mounted for free rotation at the other end. A third staff 26 carries a third pinion 27 and third gear 28 and an extra gear 29 which is constantly in mesh with the pinion 25, making the pinion 25 and gear 24 rotate at a given speed in relation to the third shaft. The lever 21 is pivoted at 22 so that movement of the lever 22 about its pivot maintains driving connection between the gear 29 and the pinion 25.

A second lever 30 pivotally mounted at 31 is pointed at one end 32 and carries a gear 33 mounted for rotation at the other end, The lever 30 is pivotally mounted so that it is possible to swing the gear 33 into mesh with the gear 24 and the pinion 19 at the same time, as shown in Figure 5.

A conventional winding stem 34 has attached a cam 35 adapted to be reciprocated in the slot 36 by pulling or is illustrated in the accompanying 2,784,546 Patented Mar. 12, 1957 pushing on the crown 37. Springs 38 and 39 hold the ends 23 and 32 of the levers 21 and 30 respectively into engagement with the surface of the cam 35 at all times.

To set the hands of the watch through the p0wer supplied by the mainspring 18, the operation is shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5. Figure 3 showing the position for normal operation of the watch, Figure 4 the position in which the hands are rotated at a rapid rate in a clockwise direction, and Figure 5 the position in which the hands are rotated in a counterclockwise direction. Referring particularly to Figure 3, the cam 35 has reduced portions 40 and 41 engaged by the ends 23 and 32 of the levers 21 and 30 respectively. In the position in which the levers are the closest to the center of the cam, the watch is in position of normal operation. Referring to Figure 4 the stem 34 has been pushed as far towards the center of the watch as possible causing the pointed end 23 to ride up on the surface of the cam 35 swinging the lever 21 about its pivot 22 and bringing the gear 24 into engagement with the minute pinion 19 which drives the minute pinion at a rapid rate of rotation in a clockwise direction. Referring particularly to Figure 5, the stem 34 is observed at its outermost position with the cam 35 moving the pointed end 32 outward and pivoting the lever 30 about its pivot 31, swinging the gear 33 into contact simultaneously with the gear 24 and the minute wheel 19 driving the minute hand in a counterclockwise direction. During either clockwise or counterclockwise setting of the hands, the frictional drag of the cannon pinion on the center staff 16 is overcome by the driving force from the setting gears to allow setting of the hands.

It will thus be seen that a very simple mechanism is provided for having a power take off from the mainspring to rotate the hands of the timepiece at a rapid rate and to maintain control so that the setting operation may be stopped at any position desired.

What is claimed is:

1. In a watch having a mainspring and time indicating hands, a time train including a third gear connecting the mainspring with said hands, a cannon pinion supporting and actuating the minute hand, a minute wheel in mesh with said cannon pinion, a staff pivotally supporting said third gear, a gear mounted on said staff and turning with said third gear, a pair of pivoted levers, a gear mounted for rotation on each of said levers, one of said two last mentioned gears being in operative engagement with said staff carried gear, means for selectively pivoting said levers to bring the gear carried thereby into driving engagement with said minute wheel and the drive from said stafl to drive said time indicating hands at a comparative rapid rate.

2. A mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the means for selecting the pivoted llever consists of a reciprocating cam adapted to selectively swing either of the levers about its pivot.

3. In a watch having a mainspring, time indicating hands, including a minute hand, a time train operatively connecting said mainspring with said hands, said train including a third gear, a staff rotatably supporting said third gear, a separate gear mounted on said staff and turning with said third gear, a cannon pinion supporting and actuating said minute hand, a minute wheel engaged with said cannon pinion and means providing a driving connection between said staff carried gear and said minute wheel for selectively rotating said time indicating hands at a comparative rapid rate in either direction.

4. In a watch having a mainspring,time indicating hands including a minute hand and a time train operatively connecting said mainspring with said hands, a staff supporting the third gear of said train, a separate gear mounted on said staff and rotating with said third gear, a pivoted lever carrying a gear and pinion mounted for t 3 rotation, said pinion being in engagement with said separate staflf carried gear, a cannon pinion supporting and actuating said minute hand, a minute wheel operatively engaging said cannon pinion, means for bringing :said lever :carried ggear into engagement With said minute Wheel while maintaining engagement between said pinion and said staff carried ,gear to .drive said time indicating hands in a clockwise direction at a comparatively rapid rate of speed.

5. In .a Watch according .to claim 4, .a second lever, a gear rotatably supported by said second lever and ar- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,055,572 Bugnion et a1 Sept. 29, 1936 

